Fashion

Little Edie's top ten outfits from Grey Gardens

Though she was a nearly penniless hermit living in squalor, "Little Edie" Beale still managed to look good. The cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who, along with her mother "Big Edie" Beale are the subject of the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens that chronicles their lives as former socialites living in...

By Robin Edwards

June 10, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Though she was a nearly penniless hermit living in squalor, "Little Edie" Beale still managed to look good. The cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who, along with her mother "Big Edie" Beale are the subject of the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens that chronicles their lives as former socialites living in a dilapidated mansion filled with cats and raccoons. Little Edie was the inspiration for Fresh City Life's Grey Gardens Etsy Crafting Party going down today at the Denver Public Library, and motivated by her totally unique fashion sense, we decided to take a look back through Grey Gardens and find this fascinating and wonderful lady's top ten outfits. 10. Edie sports her signature headscarf (used to cover up her bald head), a gold brooch on top, and a green jumper over a blue turtleneck. This outfit is perfect for glaring at your nutty mother while she lays in bed and eats melted butter pecan ice cream. 9. This matching ensemble pairs a bright red head wrap, dress, and white shoes. Note the way Edie ties up the skirt of the dress on the right side to make it more fashionable. Best to wear while dancing on the porch of your crumbling mansion. 8. This photo, shown in the film, displays a young Little Edie wearing the kind of bathing suit she would continue to wear in later life, minus the bright floral patterns. But even before she had developed her signature style, Edie managed to looked fabulous. 7. A lace top, haphazardly draped black fabric, and of course, a headscarf make up this number to feed your 52 cats in. 6. One of the filmmakers aptly titles this unique outfit by remarking "You're dressed for battle, Edie." The battle costume includes what looks like a trench coat paired with a light blue towel on her head in lieu of the usual silk headscarf. 5. Little Edie may have been a hermit, but that doesn't mean she wasn't patriotic. She pairs a red and blue scarf with white heels and an American flag to create the perfect Fourth of July ensemble. 4. Combining again many of her favorite style elements: a black head wrap, a gold brooch, layered shirts, and a wrap skirt, Little Edie even looks stylish as she glares at her mother, probably for singing all the time. 3. This safety-pinned, makeshift white skirt complements the blue spotted blouse with a built-in head scarf. White heels top it all off. 2. A draped lacey number is ideal for one of Edie's favorite pastimes, dancing, because of the lace train you can twirl around as you go through the steps. But what really makes this outfit is the bits of fabric carefully tied around Edie's shins. 1. Topping off the list is Edie's signature black, white, and yellow floral bathing suit with a scarf draped cape-like around her head and shoulders. Her gold brooch is placed atop her head, and not pictured are the white heels she often wore with her swimsuits. This, as Edie might say, is the perfect costume for the day.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.